Learn Cantonese ten words at a time
Ten short games: the 102 most useful Cantonese words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Greetings and politeness
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- 你好NAY-ho
- Hello
- 早晨JO-san
- Good morning
- 晚上好MAAN-seung HO
- Good evening
- 再見JOY-gin
- Goodbye
- 拜拜baai-BAAI
- See you
- 請CHING
- Please
- 唔該m-GOY
- Thank you
- 唔使客氣m-SAI haak-hei
- You're welcome
- 對唔住DUI-m-JU
- Sorry
- 唔該借借m-GOY jeh-JEH
- Excuse me
- 好高興認識你HO GO-hing YING-sik NEI
- Nice to meet you
Order anything by pointing
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu.
- 我想要...NGO SEUNG-yiu
- I would like...
- 呢個NAY-go
- This one
- 幾多錢？GAY-do CHIN
- How much is it?
- 埋單，唔該MAI-dan, m-GOY
- The bill, please
- 刷卡SWAAT-kaat
- By card
- 現金YIN-gam
- In cash
- 水SOEY
- Water
- 咖啡ga-FEH
- Coffee
- 茶chaa
- Tea
- 啤酒BE-jau
- Beer
- 走...JAU
- Without...
Yes, no and the essentials
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it.
- 係HAI
- Yes
- 唔係m-HAI
- No
- 好HO
- Okay
- 我唔明NGO m-MING
- I don't understand
- 你識唔識講英文？NEI sik-m-SIK GONG ying-MAN
- Do you speak English?
- 唔該講多次m-GOY GONG DO chi
- Can you repeat that?
- 講慢啲，唔該GONG MAAN-di, m-GOY
- Slowly, please
- 呢個係乜嘢？NAY-go hai MAT-yeh
- What is this?
- 我要...NGO YIU
- I need...
- 可唔可以幫下我？HO-m-HO-yi BONG-ha NGO
- Can you help me?
Counting to ten
One to ten, for prices, platforms, rooms and how many beers.
- 一yat
- One
- 兩LEUNG
- Two
- 三saam
- Three
- 四sei
- Four
- 五ng
- Five
- 六luk
- Six
- 七chat
- Seven
- 八baat
- Eight
- 九gau
- Nine
- 十sap
- Ten
Shops and hotels
Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk.
- 有冇...？YAU-mo
- Do you have...?
- ...喺邊度？hai BIN-do
- Where is...?
- 營業中YING-yip-JUNG
- Open
- 休息YAU-sik
- Closed
- 要唔要袋？YIU-m-yiu DOI
- A bag?
- 太貴喇TAAI GWAI la
- Too expensive
- 我有訂房NGO YAU DENG-fong
- I have a reservation
- 包唔包早餐？BAAU-m-BAAU JO-chaan
- Is breakfast included?
- Wi-Fi 密碼係乜嘢？WAI-fai MAT-ma hai MAT-yeh
- What's the wifi password?
- 可唔可以...？HO-m-HO-yi
- Can I...?
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen.
- 兩位LEUNG-wai
- A table for two
- 菜單，唔該CHOI-dan, m-GOY
- The menu, please
- 有乜嘢推介？YAU MAT-yeh TUI-gaai
- What do you recommend?
- 我唔食...NGO m-SIK
- I don't eat...
- 我對...敏感NGO DUI ... MAN-gam
- I'm allergic to...
- 肉YUK
- Meat
- 雞GAI
- Chicken
- 魚YU
- Fish
- 好好食HO-ho-sik
- It's delicious
- 乾杯！GON-bui
- Cheers
Meeting people
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes.
- 你好嗎？NEI HO maa
- How are you?
- 我好好，唔該NGO HO-ho, m-GOY
- I'm fine, thanks
- 你呢？NEI neh
- And you?
- 你叫乜嘢名？NEI GIU MAT-yeh MENG
- What's your name?
- 我叫...NGO GIU
- My name is...
- 你係邊度嚟㗎？NEI hai BIN-do LAI ga
- Where are you from?
- 我係...嚟嘅NGO hai ... LAI ge
- I'm from...
- 我鍾意NGO JUNG-yi
- I like it
- 好靚HO LENG
- It's beautiful
- 歡迎光臨FOON-ying GWONG-lam
- Welcome
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- 廁所喺邊度？CHI-so hai BIN-do
- Where is the toilet?
- ...點去？DIM HUI
- How do I get to...?
- 左邊JO-bin
- To the left
- 右邊YAU-bin
- To the right
- 直走JIK-jau
- Straight ahead
- 呢度NAY-do
- Here
- 火車站FO-che-JAAM
- Train station
- 巴士BA-si
- Bus
- 機場GEI-cheung
- Airport
- 一張票，唔該yat JEUNG PIU, m-GOY
- One ticket, please
Time and days
Now, later, tomorrow, what time it opens and one moment please.
- 而家YI-ga
- Now
- 遲啲CHI-di
- Later
- 今日GAM-yat
- Today
- 聽日TING-yat
- Tomorrow
- 今晚GAM-maan
- Tonight
- 幾時？GEI-si
- When?
- 幾點開門？GEI-dim HOI-moon
- What time does it open?
- 等陣，唔該DANG-jan, m-GOY
- One moment, please
- 分鐘FAN-jung
- Minutes
- 個鐘GO JUNG
- Hours
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- 救命！GAU-meng
- Help!
- 叫醫生GIU yi-SANG
- Call a doctor
- 警察GING-chaat
- Police
- 藥房YEUK-FONG
- Pharmacy
- 醫院yi-YUN
- Hospital
- 我唔知去邊NGO m-JEE HOEY BIN
- I'm lost
- 我唔舒服NGO m-SHU-fook
- I don't feel well
- 俾人偷咗BEI-yan TAU-jo
- It was stolen
- 好緊急HO GAN-gap
- It's an emergency
- 唔好煩我m-HO FAAN NGO
- Leave me alone